St. Helena man accused of dealing drugs out of elderly woman's driveway

A St. Helena Island man faces drug and weapons charges after he was caught dealing drugs out of a 93-year-old woman's driveway, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report.

Samuel "Shobe" Jones, 28, of Coffin Point Road tried to run when approached by authorities, but tripped over his baggy pants, according to the report.

Jones was charged Friday with trafficking crack cocaine and cocaine, possession of prescription drugs, simple possession of marijuana, possession of a stolen pistol, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and attempting to flee. He was released Saturday after posting a $81,092 bond, according to the Beaufort County Detention Center log.

According to the report, the elderly woman's son called at about 10:30 p.m. to tell the Sheriff's Office that Jones had backed a white sedan into his mother's driveway on Edding White Road and was selling drugs. The responding officer recognized Jones from previous encounters, the report said.

Jones started throwing things around inside the car when the deputy approached and reached under his seat, according to the report. Fearing he had a gun, the deputy drew his own gun and ordered Jones to show his hands.

Jones had a cellphone in his hand, and hanging out of his pocket was a large plastic bag filled with a white powder, according to the report. In his lap was a digital scale and a razor blade.

Deputies discovered Jones had four bags of what tests later indicated was cocaine -- two large bags and two small ones that appeared to be packaged for sale, according to the report. White powder was on the rear floorboard and center console.

That's when Jones tried to run, but he tripped over his pants and was caught, according to the report.

A search of the car revealed another bag of cocaine under the driver's seat, a stolen Springfield Armory .40-caliber pistol and a book bag with plastic sandwich bags and a brown paper bag, according to the report. Inside the paper bag was an Oxycodone pill, six Alprazolam pills, another bag of what is suspected to be cocaine, a bag of marijuana and five plastic bags of what is suspected to be crack cocaine, according to the report. Jones had $885 in his pockets.

Jones told deputies the cocaine in his pockets was his, but nothing else was. The car was not registered to him, but contained a bag of his mail. The vehicle's owner said Jones had permission to drive it.

In all, firearms worth $400, 36.1 grams of narcotics, 2.3 grams of marijuana, seven narcotic pills, a scale and a razor were seized. The car was impounded.

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